Effects of Clipping on Bud Bank and Population Regeneration of Triarrhena lutarioriparia in Dongting Lake Wetland, China

Abstract

The bud bank plays an important role in the regeneration of clonal plants after disturbance. However, specific effects of clipping disturbance on the bud bank and population characteristics of clonal plants remain unclear. Here, no-clipping (CK), low-intensity continuous clipping (LCC), and high-intensity single clipping (HSC) were tested on Triarrhena lutarioriparia, a typical rhizomatous clonal plant population. The results with respect to population characteristics and bud bank responses showed that: (1) Plant density under HSC and LCC was higher than that under CK, and compared with CK, bud density belowground decreased significantly under HSC; (2) The number of basal buds increased significantly under LCC but disappeared under HSC; the number of terminal buds under LCC and HSC decreased significantly; and (3) The proportions of guerrilla ramets under HSC and LCC were significantly lower than those under CK, while the proportions of phalanx ramets under HSC and LCC were significantly higher than those under CK. The bud bank is the main source of the aboveground population after clipping disturbance. Clipping changed bud-sprouting order and bud bank composition, ultimately leading the plant to change from guerrilla to phalanx growth form. This is an effective strategy for recovery from clipping disturbance.